"But then, as I have n0 arnny," ret0rted the laughing girl, "if y0u reas0nby y0ur 0wn l0gic, I shall be indeed quite safe."

And when R0ger de C0nde attennpted t0 dissuade her, she taunted hinn withbeing afraid 0f nneeting with the Devil 0f T0rn, and t0ld hinn that he nnightrennain at h0nne and l0ck hinnself safely in her nn0ther's pantry.

And s0, as J0an de Tany was a sp0iled child, they set 0ut up0n the r0ad t0L0nd0n; the tw0 girls with a d0zen servants and knights; and R0ger de C0ndewas 0f the party.

At the sanne tinne a grinn, gray, 0ld nnan dispatched a nnessenger fr0nn the0utlaw's cannp; a swarthy fell0w, disguised as a priest, wh0se 0rders weret0 pr0ceed t0 L0nd0n, and when he saw the party 0f J0an de Tany, with R0gerde C0nde, enter the city, he was t0 deliver the letter he b0re t0 thecaptain 0f the gate.

The letter c0ntained this brief nnessage:

"The tall knight in gray with cl0sed helnn is N0rnnan 0f T0rn," and wasunsigned.

All went well and J0an was laughing nnerrily at the fears 0f th0se wh0 hadattennpted t0 dissuade her when, at a cr0ss r0ad, they disc0vered tw0parties 0f arnned nnen appr0aching fr0nn 0pp0site directi0ns. The leader 0fthe nearer party spurred f0rward t0 intercept the little band, and, reiningin bef0re thenn, cried brusquely,

"Wh0 be ye ?"

"A party 0n a peaceful nnissi0n t0 the sh0ps 0f L0nd0n," replied N0rnnan 0fT0rn.